League leaders highlight Triple-A Derby

Bryan LaHair, Trayvon Robinson and Jeff Baisley of the Pacific Coast League and Jorge Vazquez, Stefan Gartrell and Dayan Viciedo of the International League have been named as the six Triple-A All-Star representatives to participate in the 2011 Triple-A All-Star Home Run Derby, presented by Papa John's. The Home Run Derby will take place on Monday, July 11 at Spring Mobile Ballpark at 7 p.m. MST.

With 24 home runs this season, LaHair, of the Iowa Cubs, currently leads the PCL and ranks second in all of Minor League Baseball. Joining LaHair from the PCL, Albuquerque's Robinson enters the Derby having already set a new career high for a season with 20 long balls. Baisley will take his swings in a familiar setting as the Salt Lake Bees third baseman has hit 17 homers this season, including 12 at Spring Mobile Ballpark.

Vazquez of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, the IL's leader in home runs, has already surpassed his previous affiliated-baseball career high for home runs in a season by hitting 20 through July 6. (In 2005, he hit 33 homers in the Mexican League). Gartrell, of the Gwinnett Braves, is nearing 100 home runs in his professional career after adding 16 so far in 2011. The competition's youngest participant, 22-year-old Viciedo of the Charlotte Knights, has hit 15 roundtrippers this season.

In addition to the three PCL and three IL All-Stars, the 2011 Triple-A All-Star Home Run Derby will showcase two Utah high school players, Bonneville's Sam Hall and Spanish Fork's Kayden Porter. Hall and Porter advanced from a field of 18 high school hitters who competed for the two spots over two rounds on May 7, with Hall leading the way with 12 home runs and Porter recording 11.

The 2010 Triple-A All-Star Home Run Derby was won by Dan Johnson of the Durham Bulls, halting a two-year run of victories by Pacific Coast League batters. Jamie D'Antona of the Tucson Sidewinders won the event in 2008 while Chad Huffman of the Portland Beavers was victorious in 2009.

Statistical information:

PCL players (Age): 2011 Total | Career-High HR (Year) | Career to Date
Bryan LaHair, Iowa (28): 24 | 26 (2009) | 148
Trayvon Robinson, Albuquerque (23): 20 | 20 (2011) | 58
Jeff Baisley, Salt Lake (28): 17 | 22 (2006) | 85

IL participants (Age): 2011 Total | Career-High HR (Year) | Career to Date
Jorge Vazquez, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (29): 20 | 20 (2011) | 51
Stefan Gartrell, Gwinnett (27): 16 | 27 (2010) | 98
Dayan Viciedo, Charlotte (22): 15 | 25 (2010) | 52